Chicago Landlords Catch A Break

Please Note: The summary now says “Approved by the Cirty of Chicago, June 2013; summary revised 2016” – always check to be sure you are using the latest summary!

In April, I reported being disturbed to find that the City of Chicago had updated their “Rents Right” website sometime recently to include a CRLTO summary purporting to have been approved in 2013.  My concern was that landlords using the July 2010 summary might be out of compliance with the ordinance despite the June, 2013 ordinance summary not being made widely available.

Thankfully, the City of Chicago has updated its website to assert its position that a landlord-tenant ordinance summary provided by a landlord to a tenant prior to June 1, 2016 that does not include the new language from the June, 2013 summary does not violate Section 5-12-170 of the ordinance.  Here’s a “screencap” from the City’s website:

This is great news for Chicago landlords.  Without a statement like this, I am certain that tenant’s rights attorneys would argue that any lease using the 2010 summary was, essentially, voidable.  Most, if not all, “form” Chicago leases have included the July 2010 ordinance summary.  I can report that the 2016 Chicago Association of Realtors form lease has already been revised to include the summary dated June, 2013.  Bravo to the City of Chicago for acknowledging that they only posted the 2013 update in March of 2016!